Smashed
by Rex Madison
Summary: There's a new tournament in town - but SOMEONE's not invited... (Rated PG, probably.)


**Notes:**

Yeah, I know I'm late with this one...but at least I got the right _month_ ;)

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Ever have one of those _really good_ days?

The kinda day where you just feel super, for no reason at all? Where everything seems to be going your way? Where you feel like you can do no wrong, like you can take on the world?

Well that's the kinda day Mai Shiranui was having, that fateful night in November. She was in Southtown at the moment, heading down to the Illusion in a skin-tight purple dress and strappy high heels. She strutted down the street with a smile on her face, certain she was the most beautiful woman on it. Each jealous look and gawking stare just raised her confidence further; by the time she reached the bar, she felt like the most beautiful woman on the _planet_.

As such, she made a grand entrance, throwing the doors open wide.

"He_llo_, everybody! The life of the party is here!"

Silence.

Well, not silence, actually. Nearly the opposite. People were smiling and cheering all over the bar, some of them even applauding. Trouble was, none of them were staring at the _door_. Instead they had their attention focused on the back of the bar, where Terry Bogard - the _real_ life of the party - was waving and smiling humbly.

_The hell?_ thought Mai cleverly, her brow furrowed. She headed straight for the bar to ask King the same question - but to her shock, she found Elizabeth there instead, cleaning a glass with King's usual rag and wearing her usual grimace.

"Betty? Where's King?" Mai asked by way of greeting.

"Don't call me Betty," Elizabeth warned. "And King's not working tonight. She's out _there_ somewhere, in the middle of all that."

"What _is_ all that, anyway?"

"Pfft. Beats me. Some kind of party for Terry, that's all I know."

"A _party_ for _Terry_...?" Mai echoed, her brow furrowing deeper. "It's not his birthday, or his anniversary with Mary..."

"Anniversary for _what_?" Betty snickered. "The first time they got drunk together?"

"Terry and Mary are _not_ 'drinking buddies'!" Mai snapped, forgetting the crowd as she turned to Elizabeth and frowned. "I don't know how that rumor got started, but I'll have you know they've been together since - "

"Yeah, yeah," Betty sighed, rolling her eyes. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but...I'm tired of talking to you." With that she walked down to the other side of the bar, still cleaning the same glass with King's old rag.

Mai scowled at her as she left. _Yep, same ol' Betty..._ Then she turned back and marched into the crowd, resolving to pick her way through it until she found _some_one who could give her some answers.

It turned out, of all people, to be Chang Koehan.

"Chang!?" she exclaimed, taken aback when she saw him. (She was so focused she hadn't seen him until she'd almost run into him.)

Chang turned around in confusion - then grinned. "Oh! Uh, hey Mai!" he fumbled, trying not to drool at the vision before him. "'Bout time you got here!"

"For _what?_" Mai demanded. "What is going _on_ over here?"

"Well tonight's the big sendoff party, of course!"

"For _what⁇_" Mai repeated. "_Be more specific!_"

Chang blinked. "Uhh...for Terry? Before he goes to the new tournament?"

"What do you mean, 'new tournament'?"

"You know, the 'Smash Brother' thing. ...hold on, I think I've still got the letter..."

She watched in silence as Chang dug through his prisoner's pants (_why_ was he still wearing those things⁇). Finally, from the back pocket, he pulled out a folded, crinkled letter. Mai snatched it and read it...and her eyes went wide.

* * *

TERRY FACES THE FURY

The Sakurai Corporation is pleased to announce  
TERRY BOGARD will be joining Smash Brothers Ultimate!  
Mr. Bogard is a world-renowned martial artist -  
but this could be his toughest challenge yet!  
With more fighters, more battles and more fun,  
this year's event will be Terry's perfect chance  
to CONQER THE WORLD!

* * *

"'Conqer the World'?" Mai said out loud, scowling. "What kind of two-bit operation is this?"

"Oh, it's not two-bit!" Chang assured her with a grin. "Smash Brothers is _huge_! It's one of the biggest tourneys in the whole, uhhh, 'mult-i-verse!'"

"Then why haven't _I_ heard of it?"

"Well it's not huge _here_ yet," he explained. "I only know about it 'cause I got invited." Then he blinked. "...wait a sec. Didn't _you_?"

"Huh?"

"You got a letter too, right? Didn't you read the whole thing...?"

Without replying, Mai looked back down at Chang's letter. She hadn't read the second paragraph, which was further down the page. She did so...and this time, her eyes narrowed into slits.

* * *

Mr. Bogard's first match will take place on November 6th.  
As a fellow King of Fighters veteran, you are cordially invited  
to join Terry RINGSIDE on the night of the event.  
We look forward to having you there!

* * *

There was more after that, of course. Transportation details and such. But Mai had stopped reading, started shaking with rage instead. A _multiversal_ tournament and she didn't even get a ticket? Her face was quickly turning crimson, her aura flaring to life. A tourney _Chang Koehan_ had _ringside seats for_ and she didn't even get a _ticket_⁇

Just as she was about to combust, a nervous Chang asked the question:

"Are you okay?"

...the cleaning staff was still finding pieces of him days later.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Okay, so this is actually chapter one of a two-part fic. Where's Part Two, you ask? Over in the Crossovers section. :3 I figured some of the Smash fans might get a kick outta this too, heh. Here's a direct link if you want it (take out the underscores of course):  
**www_.fanfiction._net/s/13439524/1/The-Good-Girl**

Hope to see you there!


End file.
